Alternative TitlesSynonyms: PandoraHearts Japanese: パンドラハーツ
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 25
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 2, 2009 to Sep 24, 2009
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.301 (scored by 10325 users)
Ranked: #1622
Popularity: #129
Members: 24,603
Favorites: 1,185 1 indicates a weighted score
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SynopsisOz Vessalius, heir to one of the duke houses, has just turned fifteen. His life is rich and carefree, darkened only by the constant absence of his father. At his coming-of-age ceremony, however, everything changes. For no reason that he can discern, he's cast into the prison known as the "Abyss", only to be saved by a "chain" known as Alice, the bloodstained black rabbit. It is unknown why was he cast into Abyss, how does Alice factor into it all, and what does the organization known as "Pandora" want with him.
(Source: ANN) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Pandora Hearts
Side story: Pandora Hearts Specials
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Charry
8 of 12 people found this review helpful
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25 of 25 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
When you lose everything and end up with nothing, how do you pick yourself up and move on? Do you lash out in anger and bitterness, hiding your wounds? Do you allow the emptiness inside you to shut out any emotional reaction, numbly accepting your fate? Do you desperately search everywhere for what remains of you, hoping to piece yourself back together? Or do you fear losing again so much that you spend all your time protecting what you already have, nearly crushing it in your tight grasp?
With each of these suggestions, I refer to a particular character in the story whose struggle with loss reflects one of these patterns. This theme of loss and the struggle to regain or find acceptance is by no means a new one to either drama or anime/manga, but in Pandora Hearts it is approached in a sensitive, original, and surprisingly light-hearted, pleasing manner. Though emotionally gripping, Pandora Hearts is rarely dark and angsty, favouring quirky, likeable characters and a humourous, tongue-in-cheek storytelling style.
Overview
The XEBEC-produced art/animation quality may be somewhat lacking, but the irresistibly charming Pandora Hearts is sure to make you fall in love with its beautifully crafted story, characters, fantasy world, and music.
Pros:
- most loveable, original and well-developed cast I’ve seen in a long time
- detailed, interesting “Alice in Wonderland”-themed world
- story contains few “filler” episodes and is perfectly paced, sure to leave you gasping for more
- emotional, memorable OST by .hack//SIGN & Noir (and many more) composer Yuki Kajiura
- one of those anime that has a bit of everything: drama, action, humour, even hints of romance
Cons:
- sub-par art quality, rather unacceptable by today’s standards
- weak, disappointing ending; many story threads left hanging without resolution
- some unavoidably cliché moments and a protagonist who is often ineffectual and, worse, annoying in his willingness to lay down his life
- no clear antagonist in the story, though this isn’t really a problem until the very last episodes
Story (8/10)
15-year old Oz Vessalius is the typical spoiled selfish noble kid, playing pranks all day, teasing his servant and best friend Gilbert, gaining favours from his indulgent uncle Oscar. Then, on the night of his coming-of-age-ceremony, time freezes and Oz is forced into the Abyss by mysterious strangers. Trapped in this nightmarish alternate dimension, he meets a strange, devilish young girl named Alice, who is really a Chain (a sort of “monster” of the Abyss). They form a Contract: Alice decides to help Oz return to his world, while he promises to search for her missing memories. As they find out more about her, it turns out there’s a lot he doesn’t know about the past either….
The story follows a somewhat well-worn path – disaster befalls naïve youngster, he meets mysterious girl, they discover new things, make friends and beat bad guys – but the difference is that the characters who fill all the traditional roles are so original and interesting. Alice, as the heroine of the story, is refreshingly powerful and strong-willed, with a bad mouth, a meat fetish, and a wicked laugh – and a surprising sensitivity. Oz, on the other hand, is earnest and soft-hearted, though he oddly doesn’t seem to care too strongly about anything.
There are also plenty of mysteries to be solved and plot twists to be revealed. However, I wouldn’t say that the plot is the anime’s strongest point. Not quite. Most of the “plot” really has little to do with the present situation at hand and is more about exploring the characters’ pasts. In fact, almost all of the really interesting moments in the anime are actually revelations about the past. As you might expect, all this jumping back and forth between past and present, real and alternate dimensions, while fascinating, can leave one confused and overwhelmed. Lastly, I can’t neglect the fact that the ending is truly dismal. Like many anime (it seems), a promising beginning, middle and even climax is no guarantee of a satisfying ending. When you reach the final episode I’m sure you, too, will be thinking, “What? They can't leave it at that - there must be some mistake!!"
Characters (10/10)
There’s no way Pandora Hearts gets anything less than full score on this one. The characters are simply enrapturing. It’s hard to pick a favourite because there are so many good choices! For starters, the designs are original, enticing, and complement the characters’ personalities well. Oz, despite being 15, has the vacant, vulnerable look of a younger boy, suggesting his innocence and fragility. Alice looks fiery and ferocious with her red jacket, demonically pointy hair, and long high-heeled boots; but her short stature and smooth, childlike features render her cute and approachable. Gilbert is astonishingly handsome, dark, and mysterious when he first appears as Raven in full black attire; as soon as his hat comes off, however, (so to speak) he becomes comical with his messy “seaweed” hair, his emotional tantrums, and his self-conscious cigarettes. Two other characters I feel deserve special mention: Xerxes Break, a silly yet understatedly dangerous character whose loose sleeves flop over his hands, whose smile is always shaped unnervingly into a V, and who wears a freaky rattling puppet-doll on his shoulder called Emily; and Vincent Nightray, who has two different-colored eyes, one yellow and one red, as if to represent his unpredictable, split personality (at times saccharinely sweet; at others cold-bloodedly cruel and deceptive).
Each character is quirky, with multiple sides to their personality. Oz occasionally shows a hyper-romantic, flirtatious side. Alice, as mentioned earlier, will do anything for meat. Gilbert has an incurable phobia of cats. Sharon, a girl who is older than she looks, likes young boys and seems to have a thing for Alice. Break is addicted to candy and other sweet things. Vincent is disturbingly obsessed with his brother. And so on.
The characters also have incredible chemistry together. Oz and Alice have this cute little "You're my man-servant, do what I say!" "Hahaha, of course Alice! (but not really!)" thing going on, with semi-romantic undertones. Oz and Gilbert, meanwhile, have an endearing "master and servant" relationship that's complicated by the fact that Gilbert looks (and is) much older than his "master" (and made hilarious by the fact that Oz can still get away with teasing him.) Naturally, Gil and Alice find themselves caught in a struggle for the affections of their master/man-servant Oz, hurling funny names at each other that soon become familiar ("Stupid rabbit!" "Seaweed hair!") - though when it comes to Break, they are united in their icy distrust of the slippery, duplicitous character.
The true strength of the characters lies in their multi-facetedness. No character in the main cast feels “all good” or “all bad.” For much of the story, there is even no clear antagonist, as each suspicious individual is shown one by one to be pure-hearted in some way. Somehow, the anime hardly suffers for this lack of “true evil,” which I view as a testament to the strength of the characters.
As for character development, the entire anime basically revolves around the characters’ individual backstories. There is nary a character in the main cast who we do not see some kind of flashback of. In a way, the characters’ pasts define who they are even more distinctly than the present action. Strangely, I found this worked very well, leading one to speculate fascinatingly about what must have happened before the main story.
Art & Animation (6/10)
By today’s standards, as well as the standards set by the rest of the anime, the art really sticks out like a sore thumb. And let me get this clear that I don’t in any way mean Jun Mochizuki’s original designs; I’m talking about the frame-by-frame art quality of the anime, which was produced by studio XEBEC. Compared to contemporaries in the same genre that I’ve been watching such as Kuroshitsuji and Nabari no Ou, the art and animation really has a lot of catching up to do. Unpolished, often with very unappealing colour palettes, and few extremely eye-catching or original backdrops, I wondered frequently why they could not have done this beautiful story justice with a higher budget. Without the charms of Mochizuki’s character designs, the art would nearly render this anime unwatchable. The opening of an anime should be its one greatest chance to dazzle and woo the audience with flashy, high-budget sequences; yet Pandora Hearts is one of the only good anime I’ve watched where the quality of the opening animation failed to impress me at all. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautifully conceived opening with wonderful music and fascinating visuals, but the animation itself is little beyond lacklustre.
Music & Voice Acting (9/10)
Yuki Kajiura’s work truly is beautiful. It’s hard to say anything bad about it. When it comes to emotional drama, suspenseful themes, heart-wrenching themes, and tragic themes, she is the master. Her English-language insert piece, "Everytime you kissed me," is a thorough success, and the ubiquitous "music box" theme she created for Pandora Hearts, "Lacie," is hauntingly memorable. But I can be nit-picky. The themes can get slightly repetitive and, if you’ve heard her previous work, it'll probably feel a little deja vu. The endings and opening, while excellent, are not extraordinarily exceptional. In the end, the one point I knocked off comes down to the music not being extremely original, just very good.
There is nothing really left to be desired from the Japanese voice acting. Everything is just as it should be. The boyish, suave Junko Minagawa (Ryoma Echizen , Ritsuka Aoyagi) is the perfect choice as Oz, while listening to Kosuke Toriumi (Yuri Lowell, Kiba Inuzuka)’s sexy voice as Gilbert is like eating chocolate ice cream, and Akira Ishida (Gaara, Kaworu Nagisa, Athrun Zala, many others) does a spectacular job as the eccentric, foppish Break (and Emily!), as usual. In all respects, a very strong cast.
Bottom line: Pandora Hearts has its share of flaws, and probably won't please absolutely everyone (action fans, why are you still here?!), but once immersed in its lovely, charming little world, its intoxication is a very, very pleasant experience. (9/10) read more
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shinigamiallie
112 of 181 people found this review helpful
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9 of 25 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
I would just like to say that this is the very first anime I've given a 10 to without watching it in its entirety. I've always enjoyed twists on Alice in Wonderland and I love the darker genre of anime so needless to say Pandora Hearts drew me in right away.
The synopsis doesn't do the story justice. Imagine being 15 and having everything and then being sucked into a world that is similar to a broken toy box where the dolls try to eat you. Thats just what Oz Bezarius goes through on his coming of age ceremony on his birthday. I won't say much more or else I could spoil something, but trust me that the story is up to par.
The art was brilliant. It's hard for me to watch an anime with bad artwork so I try to choose those with characters that are pleasing to look at. The fight scenes and magic are also very well played in this anime. I think my only complaint is not with the art-work itself, but with the quality. Having to wait each week you take what you get and sometimes the colors/etc. look dull in the fan-subs.
I love the music! This is one of the few anime that I just can't get enough of the opening theme. Parallel Hearts by Function Junction is awesome. If you have time look it up on YouTube...there are a lot of people who have done piano and accoustic versions of it that are just wonderful. I also really like the music box melody and just in general the music is great throughout. It presents the anime with a whimsical and yet forboding feel.
The characters are amazing. Theres something for everyone from the crazy and weird humored (Break) to the broody and mysterious (Raven) to the over-powered and short tempered girl (Alice) to the flirty kid who has a lot more pain hidden than you'd think (Oz) and even the girl that hardly talks but knows how to take down anyone (Echo).
Enjoyment and Overall both get a perfect 10. This is probably the first anime in a long time that I just can't get enough of. Though the entire series isn't out yet after you watch a few episodes you'll be sitting on your computer each Saturday waiting for the next one to come out too! read more
Recommendations
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the main characters made a contract towards a demon (Kuroshitsuji) and a chain (pandora hearts).....
Both of theses anime have dark aspects and the main characters seem to have similar personalities. Both main characters are somewhat bratty and come from a rich family with maids and butlers.
both have a gothic feeling to them, and the main characters are 'cursed'
They both take place in London and have a dark atmosphere. Very good char designs aswell.
Both include someone who made a contract with someone else in order to save themselves. Also, both have a similar dark Gothic theme and have characters from rich families.
Both anime have a mix of comedy and the supernatural, with quite a few action scenes too.
They both have a dark plot. Super-natural setting. As in Sebastian and B-Rabbit or Raven (Gil). The main character (Ceil and Oz) are both rich, and somewhat snoby / brats. But they are different in both animes , Oz is more happy compared to Ceil. Pandora Hearts has more comic relief in it compared to Kuroshitsuji. Both have amazing music to compliment the scene in the animes. Both are emotional too. So be sure to have a tissue box at hand! ;)
Both of these series have similar protagonists. Ciel and Oz are wealthy children from prestigious families living in historical London, and they both have a close relationship with their servants. Both boys have entered into a contract with an otherworldly creature and both their servants (Sebastian and Gilbert) have dark and mysterious personalities, and even look a little similar.
Both stories could be considered dark, but they're both lightened with a little humor and eccentric characters. Also in both series Dolls are used as a symbol for madness and some characters are not as they appear.
Also, and this is something I feel I have to include, there is a little fanservice and suggestive scenes between Young Master and servant to attract shonen-ai fan viewers. However, it's not so heavy in either that it should turn off people who are not so fond of shonen-ai.
This is probably the best reccomendation to anyone who loves Kuroshitsuji. They have the same close relationships between the characters and each character has their own mysterious past and story to tell. Oz is somewhat like the optimistic version of Ceil. There is a lot that will keep you guessing and the music and art work are brilliant in both. If you like one I can promise you'll like the other. Where Pandora Hearts is a little more light-hearted it still has an ominous feel to it and like Kuroshitsuji it keeps you guessing who the bad guys really are.
Both are about Brittish kids. Action in the same time, animation is very similar, kids of the same father (the same studio)
Dark atmosphere is present from both series. The art and animation were really good. Also, both protagonists have a master-servant relationship and came from rich families.
Rich boy and his faithful butler in city like 19th century London, mysterious contract and of course a lot of Bishonens^^
Kuroshitsuji is mainly about the young Phantomhive master whom has a butler named Sebastian Michaelis.... One "hell" of a butler. The young master takes on a series of cases for the queen, and in the process becomes aware of a certain group with questionable intent.
Pandora Hearts revolves around a young duke who has just come of age. After being sentenced to the prison known as abyss, he makes a contract with a being known as a "chain" in order to escape.
If you're into demonic contracts, shinigami, and those darkened themes... you're sure to love both of these amazing works.
Both take place in the 1800's
Both have lots of master-servant relationships
There are quite a few similar characters
Both have awkward endings
Anime similar to the atmosphere, appearance and nature of the characters and action takes place in one period.
Both animes have similar dymanics in the relations between main characters: an older, stronger servant who protects a weaker, younger master. Also, the topic of hell/Abyss that threatens one of the characters is kind of similar. Both animes are very nice in the visual aspect, dramatic but with some humor to lighten the mood.
Ambos os animes tem um clima misterioso em epocas passadas, e existem grandes semelhanças entre alguns personagens, como por exemplo os protagonistas Oz e Ciel. XD
Similar setting: rich, somewhat arrogant noble kids, older (and hotter) servants, Gothic styles. Both try to present a fantasy world that resembles a historical European setting to various degrees, but with the critical aspect of the story based on a supernatural twist. In Kuroshitsuji, it is the concept of demons and angels. In Pandora Hearts, it is the "Abyss," a dimension where time is warped. Both protagonists have been bestowed with a sort of life-binding curse that they view as a punishment, yet ironically neither seem to value their lives very much.
Kuroshitsuji is much darker in tone than Pandora Hearts, however. It is quite heavily Gothic, while PH adheres to more typical anime conventions.
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They have a very similar dark atmosphere. The sceneries are very similar.
The main characters, Oz and Allen, have very similar personalities and go through a major life changing experience. Both series also have a dark horror type theme, many random comedic scenes, and a fair amount of action.
I realised that they are very alike.Both have contractors-well Chains are not the same as Innocence but still have some similiarities.
In both anime-s the bad guys seek the same thing as the good.
Even Alice has Allen's appetite
It's hard to explain, but something just seems similar between these two anime. Maybe it's the atmosphere, the characters, or even just the same genre...I recommend Pandora Hearts for anyone who enjoyed D.Gray Man, and vice versa.
The main protagonists both have a tendency to act like "my life doesn't matter since I don't have anything important to me anymore" aka they seem a bit suicidal.
The series both are very similiarily executed. They have a love for details, well shown hilarity and a nice dark gothic athmosphere.
Both series have lovable characters who sometimes even act similiar.
In both animes there is a group of main characters who has to fight monsters, and the monsters are similar: called by people to help them solve their problems but possessing the caller instead.
Both of them have a similar dark atmosphere, While the Black Order tries to eliminate the " Akuma " and investigate the " Innocence ", The Pandora organization also investigate the " Abyss " and The " Chains " thoroughly and tries the eliminate them, and the main character have somewhat similar personality .
If you enjoyed either of these , you'll most likely enjoy the other .
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Opening Theme"Parallel Hearts" by FictionJunction (Wakana Ootaki, Keiko Kubota, Kaori Oda, Yuriko Kaida)
Ending Theme#01: "Maze" by savage genius feat. Tomoe Ohmi (ep. 1-13)
#02: "Watashi wo Mitsukete. (私を見つけて。)" by savage genius (ep. 14-25)
Fansubbing Groups
Which fansubbers do you like the best? Click + to approve of their subs for this show. Click - if you don't think they did such a great job.
Related ClubsJack Bezarius FanClub, Jack Vessalius Fan Club, Sharon Rainsworth Fanclub ♥, We love Wimps/Moe guys in anime/manga, ♥ Jack Vessalius FC ♥, The Abyss Fan Club, ♥ Cute Couple♥, Oz ♥ Alice Fanclub., White Shirts are Love ♥, ~~*Claim Club*~~, Pandora Hearts 2nd Season Petition, ~ONII-SAN... Big Brothers club~, Tragedy of Sabriè Rp , Kappei Yamaguchi at All, Into Another World Anime & Manga, We ~ Love ~ Anime, Character Love Tea ♥ , Memory Loss Characters, The Bishie Club, Gilbert X Oz fan club (Pandora hearts)Daisuke Ono Fan Club!, Jack Vessalius Fan club, Alice Fan club, Gil x Oz club, Hungry Bishies' Association (H.B.A.), ~The Yuki Kajiura Fanclub~, SawlSeki's Fanclub ♥ , Oz Vessalius Fan CLUB! <3, Just Noticed, ♥Cute Anime Lovers♥, Lotti (Charlotte) Baskerville Fanclub ♥, *Gilbert Nightray FC*, Jack X Alice Fanclub, We Luv Anime Guys, monochrome★sanctuary, Pandora Hearts, Claim your Current Character Obsession [C.C.O.], Ultimate Claim & More!, The Official Gilbert Nightray Fan Alliance ♥, Scary Girls Club, Alice x Oz Fanclub ♥, Dark Fashion FC, Vincent Nightray Fan club, Gillbert Nightray, Akira Ishida, Break Xerxes' Prison, Bea Rabbit, Alice <3, Smoker's club, Character Love Tea ♥ , The Always Hungry Characters Club, Katsuri Fanclub, Will of the Abyss Fanclub ♥, xxx yaoi xxx, Anime Recommendation, Supernatural Skill & Special Weapon Club, !~~tsubasalover's Friendships~~!, Mix-Breed[demons], Short Hair Fanclub, `Anime Music Downloader`, ♥ Nightray Household's Alliance ♥, Skinny Boys FC, The Fukuyama Jun Fanclub, Sugoi Desu Webzine Club, ♥ Colorful Claiming ♥, silver moon, Clarsiso-sama fanclub!!!, Glen Baskerville, ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤ вяєαк-ѕαмα ƒαη cℓυв ❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪, Arab Otaku, Pandora Hearts, Whatever...., Guild Against the Killing of Hot Anime Guys, Break x Gilbert Fanclub, Guys with Guns FC, Silver, White, Gray-Haired Characters Fanclub!, Anime Couple Fanclub, Jack Vessalius Fan club, ♔ ~ Obocchan no kurabu / Rich Bishounen Club ~ ♔, , ~~~~talking about beautiful boys~~~~, Break x Sharon Fanclub ♥, Anime Mix RP, The Old, Elegant story, ♥ Vincent x Gilbert FanClub ♥ , Pandora Hearts Roleplay, Vincent Nightray FanClub, Cheshire Cat Love~, Wonderland, MAL's Official Victorian Era Anime & Manga Club, Anime Experience, Falling into Another World, Mystery/suspense Anime/Manga, Pandora Hearts!!, Pandora Hearts Role-Play!!! ^^, XarXes (XerXes) Break FanClub, Everything is SEALED, Fang-tan, ShadowAlex Anime Room, Reo (Leo) Nightray Fanclub. ♥, Jack Vessalius FC, [_Comical Corner_], Man of Anime League (MAL), Pandora Hearts Bulgaria, Alice-chan Fan Club, Brother Complex Club, Echo Fanclub ♥, AnimeWorld, Bishonen Lovers Club, cats character, Vincent Nightray Fan Club, ☆»♥«☆ Romantic-Historical Genre Fanclub ☆»♥«☆, Polski FC Pandora Hearts, Many Goats' favourite characters, anime and manga, Xerxes Break Fanclub, Adventures in Wonderland, Odd-Eyes Club, Nekogirls club, What ever anime/manga Club!, Oya oya, kufufu, Elliot Nightray FC, The Ultimate Absolute Ukes, The Demon Lord, Pandora Hearts 2dn season Petition, Pandora Hearts (Hungarian Fan club), Break x Raven FC ( ♥ ), The Young Duke : Oz Vessalius, Claim the Character Who You Would Be, Rufus Barma Fanclub ♥, Ojou-sama Fanclub, Ada Vessalius Fanclub ♥, Pandora Hearts fanclub, break-sama fansclub, FictionJunction, Mole=Moe, MAL's Official Sun_Princess Fanclub see all
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